McDonnell: Romney "the steady one"

No, it wasn’t an endorsement. But Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell did have some kind words for former Massachusetts governor and current presidential contender Mitt Romney Wednesday.

McDonnell reiterated his stance that his preference for the Republican presidential nominee would be a “current or former governor,” throwing in Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s name as a top contender as well.

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“Mitt Romney, I have to say, over the last six, seven, eight months has been the steady one,” Mr. McDonnell said on Fox News’ “Your World with Neil Cavuto.” He hasn’t closed the deal, but he’s kept his percentage of the vote pretty constant while others have gone up and down,” adding that Mr. Romney was running an “idea-oriented campaign.”

But Romney has consistently taken heat for appearing to sway with various political winds in some cases. Last week he declined to comment on a ballot initiative in Ohio that would overturn a law curbing collective bargaining by public employees. The next day, at an event in Fairfax County in which he appeared with Mr. McDonnell, he said he fully supported Republican Gov. John Kasich’s effort on the high-profile issue.

And, of course, Mr. Romney has has had to defend the health care policy he enacted in Massachusetts that bears a striking resemblance to President Obama’s health care reforms.

“I think it’s fair to say that some of the positions he’s adopting now are different than when he was governor of Massachusetts,” said Mr. McDonnell. Mitt’ll have to explain those differences. I think what I see now is he’s on the right side of a lot of those issues now, whether they’re social or financial and, look, a guy that’s been the head of the Olympic Committee and run Bain Capital and created jobs, that’s the kind of the type of skill set you want running America right now.”